FMEA Celebrates Public Power Week, Oct. 1 – 7

The Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA), along with its 34 municipal electric utility members, will celebrate Public Power Week next week (Oct. 1 – 7). Public Power Week is celebrated the first full week of October every year to help customers and stakeholders understand how they can better engage with their community-owned utility and benefit from all its offerings.

Public Power Week is especially meaningful to Florida communities this year as it comes on the heels of devastating Hurricane Irma, which caused unprecedented damage and power outages in nearly every part of the state. More than 800,000 public power customers in more than 20 counties lost power following Hurricane Irma. All 34 of Florida’s public power utilities were affected by Hurricane Irma. Public power crews from across the state and nation worked tirelessly to restore power as quickly as possible. Two days after the storm, power had been restored to more than half a million public power customers, approximately 75 percent of the state’s total public power customers.

“Public Power Week is all about recognizing the reliable, affordable electricity our members and public power utilities across the nation provide the people of their communities,” said Amy Zubaly, FMEA Executive Director. “Public Power Week gives us a chance to emphasize the benefits of having a locally-owned and locally-controlled electric utility that is maintained by family, friends and neighbors.”

Public Power Week is an annual national event coordinated by the American Public Power Association, which represents 2,000 not-for-profit, community-owned utilities that serve 49 million customers nationwide. In Florida, public power utilities serve more than 3 million Floridians.

Use the hashtag #PublicPowerWeek on social media to recognize the public power personnel and lineworkers who were instrumental in restoring power to Florida communities following Hurricane Irma.